In pictures: Destruction caused by Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene is one of the worst The strongest storms ever to hit the United States with wind gusts of 140 mph (225 km/h) and heavy rain.

The storm made landfall in Florida overnight Thursday as a category four hurricane, but was downgraded to a tropical storm as it quickly moved inland.

It was the strongest storm on record to hit Florida's Big Bend and moved north toward Georgia and the Carolinas.

At least 45 people died and millions were left without power.

Insurers and financial institutions believe the storm could cause billions of dollars in damage.

Getty Images An aerial view of damaged coastal homes — In Horseshoe Beach, Florida, an aerial view shows debris from damaged homes. A local resident told Reuters that while the threat of hurricanes is the “price you pay for wanting to live on the coast,” there comes a point where “enough is enough.”

A furniture store in Valdosta, Georgia is destroyed. The store, called Chez What, posted a message on Facebook saying their hearts were “heavy.”

Getty Images The picture shows a house with one side demolished and piles of bricks lying next to it — A furniture store in Valdosta, Georgia is destroyed. The store, called Chez What, posted a message on Facebook saying their hearts were “heavy.”

A man, Nash Harris, searches for salvageable clothing at his home in Steinhatchee in Florida's Big Bend

Reuters A man walks through a room whose ceiling is collapsing and the furniture is damaged — A man, Nash Harris, searches for salvageable clothing at his home in Steinhatchee in Florida's Big Bend

Children walk past the collapsed portion of a bridge after it was destroyed by floodwaters in Boone, North Carolina

Reuters Children walk past the collapsed portion of a bridge after it was destroyed by flooding in Boone, North Carolina — Children walk past the collapsed portion of a bridge after it was destroyed by floodwaters in Boone, North Carolina

A resident helps free a car that has broken down on a flooded stretch of road on the outskirts of Boone, North Carolina

Reuters A resident helps free a car that has broken down on a flooded stretch of road on the outskirts of Boone, North Carolina. — A resident helps free a car that has broken down on a flooded stretch of road on the outskirts of Boone, North Carolina

Members of the Fire Department's Water Rescue Team assist a man in Atlanta, Georgia

EPA members of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department Water Rescue Team rescue a man in Atlanta, Georgia — Members of the Fire Department's Water Rescue Team assist a man in Atlanta, Georgia

Across the region, many people would wake up to find damage from flooding.

Floodwaters inundate the Guy Ford Road bridge on the Watauga River as Hurricane Helene approaches the mountains of North Carolina

Jonathan Drake/Reuters Floods pour over the Guy Ford Road bridge on the Watauga River as Hurricane Helene approaches the mountains of North Carolina — Floodwaters inundate the Guy Ford Road bridge on the Watauga River as Hurricane Helene approaches the mountains of North Carolina

Joe Raedle/Getty Images Flooding in Tarpon Springs, Florida — Flooding in Tarpon Springs, Florida

Peachtree Park Apartments resident Candice Ocvil (left) and Jibri Tolenrow kayak through the floodwaters in Peachtree Creek, Georgia

Erik Lesser/EPA-EFE Peachtree Park Apartments resident Candice Ocvil (left) and Jibri Tolenrow through floodwaters in Peachtree Creek, Georgia — Peachtree Park Apartments resident Candice Ocvil (left) and Jibri Tolenrow kayak through the floodwaters in Peachtree Creek, Georgia

In Peachtree Creek, some residents used boats to deal with the floodwaters while another began cleanup efforts.

Peachtree Park Apartments resident Andrea Palese begins cleaning up

Erik Lesser/EPA-EFE Peachtree Park Apartments resident Andrea Palese begins cleaning up — Peachtree Park Apartments resident Andrea Palese begins cleaning up

A home in Pinellas County, near Tampa, Florida, was hit hard by the storm

Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock A home at the Harbor Lights Club mobile home park in Pinellas County after Hurricane Helene — A home in Pinellas County, near Tampa, Florida, was hit hard by the storm

In Crawfordville, Florida, power lines and fallen trees lay on the ground

Marco Bello/Reuters In Crawfordville, Florida, power lines and fallen trees lay on the ground — In Crawfordville, Florida, power lines and fallen trees lay on the ground

As floodwaters receded along Florida's west coast, they left behind damaged or destroyed buildings.

Cristóbal Herrera/EPA-EFE A destroyed building in Cedar Key, Florida

Cristóbal Herrera/EPA-EFE View of the damage left by Hurricane Helene in Cedar Key, Florida.

EPA view of the damage left by Hurricane Helene in Keaton Beach, Florida.

An oak tree fell on a home in Anderson, South Carolina.

Ken Ruinard/The Anderson Independent Mail/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS A large oak tree lies atop a home in Anderson, South Carolina

Emergency response teams like these Marine deputies were on hand to rescue those who needed help.

Below, a hovercraft is transporting residents rescued from floodwaters due to storm surge in the Crystal River.

Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock A hovercraft transports residents rescued from floodwaters caused by a storm surge in the Crystal River

A man and his dog were rescued by the US Coast Guard off the coast of Florida, while a capsized boat washed ashore in St. Petersburg.

US Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS A US Coast Guard crew rescues a man and his dog during Hurricane Helene after his sailboat became disabled and began taking on water off Sanibel Island, Florida

Joe Raedle/Getty Images A capsized boat washes ashore in Saint Petersburg, Florida

Before it hit, the storm had already caused power outages for more than a million people and severe flooding in several areas.

In the picture, Duke Energy trucks were lined up, waiting to repair damage once the storm passed.

Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Charles Starling, a lineman with Team Fishel, is pelted by rain as he walks past a row of electric trucks lined up in a field in The Villages, Florida

Before the hurricane, many residents moved into emergency shelters like this one at a school in Tallahassee.

Octavio Jones/Reuters Amber Hardin, 27, spends time with her dog Ducky while sheltering from Hurricane Helene at Leon High School near downtown Tallahassee, Florida

Kathleen Flynn/Reuters Lindsay Smith, her four-month-old son Maze Crawford and mother Dieonne Smith wait for the arrival of Hurricane Helene at Lincoln High School, which has opened as an emergency shelter in Tallahassee, Florida

President Joe Biden and state authorities had urged people to heed official evacuation warnings before Helene struck, although some decided to stay in their homes to wait out the storm.

People boarded up windows and prepared their houses as best they could.